Suburban jedi plots rise of Hornet
GLENN Rushton believes he will die on September 30, 2050. Like a suburban Jedi, he has foreseen his destiny in a dream. At least he can plan accordingly.
‘‘I’ve always been a huge believer in order and discipline and sticking to a schedule,’’ says the trainer of Jeff Horn, who fights Manny Pacquiao for the WBO welterweight title this afternoon.
‘‘I used to think I was unbreakable. I was in a car accident when I was 15, have been pulled out to sea at Noosa in a rip, never had a really serious injury. That’s what I used to think.’’
Of all the curious characters surrounding the biggest fight Australian has ever witnessed, Rushton still manages to stand out. A financial wizard who manages a reported $70 million investment fund, the martial GETTY IMAGES arts expert trains his stable of boxers from a gym in one wing of his salmon-hued mansion in the Brisbane suburb of Stretton.
During fight week, he has taken to wearing a suit over the top of a ‘The Hornet’ t-shirt, all the while sporting the signature silver chain around his neck that espouses the various virtues of the ‘Scorpion’ style of martial arts he invented.
And if Horn has an entire mountain range to climb in the form of Pacquiao, Rushton stands opposite Freddie Roach, a man that has trained 49 world champions from his famed Wild Card gym in Hollywood. Rushton hopes Horn will be his first.
Members of the Pacquiao camp are clearly sceptical of Rushton’s credentials in this sort of arena. Some regard him as a snake oil salesman who trots out a long list of motivational lines when pressed on tactical issues. Others believe he has failed to give Horn the best sparring, or even whether he knows how to hold the pads correctly.
Rushton couldn’t care less. He’s risen from a poor family to become a self-made millionaire, who in turn stands on the verge of turning a geeky kid into a world champion.
‘‘Freddie Roach, I deeply respect the man. He has nothing to prove. Now, do I feel in any way inferior? Definitely not, I assure you. I have a very strong self image.’’